Thin plants that have spread and matted together to rows eight to 12 inches wide, with two to three feet between them. If you have a large flat strawberry patch, you can also use a lawn mower with the blade set to the appropriate height, but be sure to mow no more than one week after the last harvest or you risk damaging the new leaves. You can do this with pruning shears or hedge clippers. This process consists of pruning foliage, thinning, and removing debris and weeds.įor June-bearing varieties, you’ll need to prune the foliage to a height of one to two inches above the crown. Day-neutral types that will flower and produce fruits throughout the growing season provided temperatures don’t go lower than 35☏ or over 85☏.Īfter harvesting fruit, plants that are expected to winter over need to be renovated.Everbearing varieties that form buds when the days are long, and produce three harvests each year.June-Bearing varieties that form buds in the fall, bloom in spring, and produce one large harvest, typically in June.There are three types of strawberry plant:
Let’s look at each step in more detail: 1. The four steps to prepare strawberries for winter are: renovate, fertilize, water, and apply mulch. With a bit of preparation, you can protect your plants from the ravages of winter and set them up for a healthy return after their period of dormancy.Ĭontainer-grown plants can be prepared using the same methods described below and then placed in a basement, shed, or garage to winter over. To retain the moisture needed to keep crowns – the part of the plant where the stems originate – from drying out.To inhibit “heaving,” a spontaneous uprooting caused by soil shifts during freezing and thawing.To minimize root damage from temperature fluctuations caused by repeated cycles of freezing and thawing.If you live in a region where the ground freezes in winter, your strawberries will benefit from a few proactive measures to help them survive the coldest months of the year. However, according to Emily Hoover, extension horticulturalist at the University of Minnesota Extension, temperatures of 15☏ or below can cause fatal damage to the crown. Most types of strawberry require 200-300 chill hours with temperatures between 45 and 32☏ for optimal fruit production. SPECS: 100 plants/100' row, or 14,520 plants/acre at 12" spacing, rows 3' apart.There’s a chill in the air. We also recommend that you remove all the runners during the first year. NOTES: Encourage the plant to put its energy into becoming established by removing all the flower buds for the first 6 weeks after setting out your plants.
Day-neutral beds will last for one to two growing seasons once established. Production and berry size may decline during the hottest part of summer. HARVEST: Plants will set fruit from midsummer through October. Leave the mulch in the aisles to keep the fruit clean and help suppress weeds. Pull mulch aside in spring when plants start to grow. Mulch with straw in late fall when plants have started to go dormant to moderate freeze/thaw cycles and heaving. Set plants with the roots straight down into the soil, making sure the middle of the crown is level with the top of the soil. Some growers prefer to plant the crowns with closer spacing (5-9" in-row spacing for single rows or staggered double rows with 10-20" in-row spacing) and to remove all runners during the entire life span of the bed. PLANTING (PLANTS): Space plants 12-18" apart in rows 3-4' apart. Keep soil temperature between 60☏ (16☌) and 75☏ (24☌), if possible. Transplant to plug trays or 1-1 1/2" apart in flats, then to larger pots or planters for retailing full-size plants: 1 plant/3-4" pot 3-5 plants/8" pot. Press seeds into moist mix and keep moist until plants emerge in 2-3 weeks. PLANTING (SEEDS): Sow seeds thinly in March or April in a fine soilless mix. Prepare beds the previous fall or in early spring to get good control over perennial weeds.
CULTURE: Strawberries prefer a sunny to partially shaded location and moist, well-drained soil, richly fertilized with compost or aged manure, and a pH between 6.5-6.8.